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The new Bing app for the iPad is actually better than Bing in the browser. No, I’m not joking. It is absolutely beautiful, and one of THE best overall iPad apps I’ve ever used. The first time I opened it up, I was drawn in for about fifteen minutes, just exploring everything it has to offer. If I were Apple, I’d be selling the device with this as a default app. It’s honestly THAT good.

The entire touch experience is right there. You can play around with everything on the screen. Anything you could possibly want – or need – is literally at your fingertips:

• Find what’s important near you: tell Bing what you’re looking for using voice-activated search – even addresses. Find a restaurant or reserve a table. Use the Plans feature to explore nightlife options, Likes and comments on Facebook. Grab onto the social feature to see updates from Facebook and Twitter in your search results.
• Find stores, photos, movie times and reviews, iPhone apps, travel deals, airline promotions, local weather forecasts and directions.
• Use the real-time transit features to figure out if your bus will be on time or check the status of any flight.
• Add information for a business or location on the map and Bing will let you know when you’re close to it.
• Try using the Bing Vision to search using the device camera. Bring text into close view, and the app will recognize it. Select which words you want to search.
• Scan a barcode and Bing will give you product results. It can also detect product information from QR code, Microsoft Tag, UPC codes and cover art from books, CD, DVDs, and video games.
• Check into your favorite social sites without having to leave the app.
• Always find the lowest rates and hottest deals on everything from dinner to movies to travel options using Bing.

I absolutely love that I can clear all of my history in about two seconds with one tap. The same can be said about turning Safe Search off and on. The setup and customization options are fantastic in this application.

Another awesome thing is that the app will keep a history of all of the places I have searched for. I can quickly scroll through and find something I’ve already looked up without having to type it out again or scrolling through results to find the correct one.

Want to see a movie tonight? Don’t just find a local theater and show times. Watch the movie trailers right within Bing. I can also get movie ratings and reviews and links to news articles written about each flick and their various actors and actresses.

This is what an app should be – something that draws you and and makes you want to explore the world around you. It’s not only functional, it’s fun. There are a lot of news and search apps out there, but this one just get it right.

Bing for iPad

Yeah, I use “swear words” on a regular basis. I don’t think that makes me a bad person, either. At least I don’t mispronounce “nuclear!”

I’m also guilty of wanting to learn the “bad words” in other languages – if only to know when someone is calling me something I’d rather not be called. And knowing is half the battle. I know I’m not alone in this respect. What’s the first sentence YOU try to translate when you’re using a translation app for the first time? I can’t be the only one.

So, imagine my surprise when I fired up the brand new Google Translate app for the iPhone, spoke clearly into the mic, and saw it populate the fields with hashes:

Worse yet? The voice translation reads the hashes aloud – in whatever language it’s translated. At least Google could include a universal *bleep* sound if they’re not going to let me f**king do what I want to f**king do. :)

Now, I happen to think this app (overall) is pretty damn genius – and it’s highly recommended for any one of you traveling abroad with an international data plan in hand. Go ahead – try it with any other language that Google translates (French, Spanish, Albanian, etc.). For some reason, and with no filtering toggle available in the app’s settings, Google doesn’t want me cussing in other languages.

So, what about Bing? I tried saying that same phrase five times:

Bing seems to pretend that you didn’t really say it at all. That’s even worse.

Of course, each one of these apps will let you key in a swear word – so why don’t they like you speaking it into the microphone? Is that, somehow, worse? It could certainly be argued that a more sensitive person might say “I would like to eat your shiitake dish” and see a less-than-desirable translation.

However, shouldn’t each of these apps at least give us the option to learn about our favorite swears?

Google and Bing Apps for the iPhone Won’t Translate Spoken Swear Words – in Any Language

According to a report at TechCrunch, Bing may soon be the search engine found on the iPhone. Google has held that honor since the iPhone first launched, but their relationship with Apple is strained. “There’s been speculation around Google’s future on the iPhone since last year when the first public spat broke out between the companies over the Google Voice app for the iPhone. Android’s continued gains in market share only highlight Google’s direct competition with Apple, and the fact that so many core iPhone apps, including search and maps, are controlled by Google, has been a sore point with Apple.”

There are rumors that Google has been paying a stiff fee to Apple all of this time for exclusive search engine rights and ad serving. If that is the case, I’m sure Microsoft offered a nice sum to Apple in order for them to make the switch.

Even though Steve Ballmer himself is apparently not attending WWDC, it’s likely we’ll see someone from the company on the stage during the event. It’s pretty much a given that they’ll be discussing Microsoft Office for the Mac. It’s always possible that we may get to see Silverlight on the iPad. It also now seems as though we’ll be hearing about Bing moving onto the iPhone. Like all of you, we’ll be waiting to see what announcements the conference brings.

Is Bing Coming to the iPhone?

Bing asked me to tell them what I was searching for. I gave them my search query:

They couldn’t help me, though.

What are You Searching For?

A report released today says that about 44% of Google users simply skim through news headlines, and never click through to read the full stories. The report goes on to predict the continuing decline of print news in favor of being able to get it online. This doesn’t come as much surprise to me – or anyone else, really.

However, I don’t agree that that many people never bother to click through. Sure, I scan headlines, much like the rest of you. However, if something catches my eye then I cannot stop with just a few sentences in a Google search. I have to click through and read the rest of the article. I have a feeling most of you are the same way. The article states that 2,787 US news consumers were polled. That’s fine… but who did they poll? How do we know that very tiny number of the population truly represents us all? I don’t agree that they possibly could.

What are your thoughts? Do you turn to the Internet for your news? Do you scan and go, or click and read? What other sites do you enjoy reading articles on, to find out what’s happening in the World around you?

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Don’t forget to check out our software download center to see what great deals on software we have for you today!

Do You Google the News?

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Imagine my surprise when I saw this splashed upon a building in the Seattle area. Thank goodness they went with “Bing” instead of sticking with “Windows Live Search” (or they would have needed a MUCH bigger building).

This was taken in Bellevue, WA looking at the Microsoft building. Neither the Google nor the Yahoo! buildings were decorated in any way. The Microsoft building, however, caught my attention and made me stop to look – and record!

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Bing Building Bling

Like many startups, Twitter spent their early years focused on gaining subscribers. However, that left many in the community wondering how Twitter would ever turn a profit. They focused on users to the exclusion of worry about making money – or so it seemed.

In a move that really shocks no one, Twitter has inked a very lucrative deal with both Google and Microsoft… to the tune of about $25 million. This deal allows both companies to index tweets to be incorporated into real-time search results. Up until this point, your tweets were fairly “protected”, in that they never showed up in a simple Google search (or Bing search!). However, that has now changed, so beware what you tweet!

Using the new real-time search capabilities, you’ll see real-time updates from places such as Twitter, Facebook, and even blogs. Whatever you’re searching for, you’re going to now get results that may actually be more of what you’re needing to find. In the past, you were limited in a way as to what you’d get for results. Now, you’ll be receiving updates by the second… ones that can often have more pertinence and impact on you than a “dry” result (from say… Wiki or a newspaper site) would have been.

Will this change Twitter itself? Will it change the way you tweet? Many people are already stating that they will be much more conscious of what they are tweeting. They may not want their every thought available on search engine results. Yet, others are already seeing dollar signs… they see that their names showing up in search results could end up driving much more traffic to themselves, and their businesses.

There are pros and cons on both sides of this coin… that of Twitter, that of search results themselves, and that of the Twitter users. Okay, that might be a funny-looking three-sided coin. But nevertheless, it’s going to be interesting to watch over the next several months. If it is handled well, I can see this becoming a very, VERY good thing for all involved.

What do you think? Is real-time search integration going to make Twitter even stronger and better than it already is? Or are you one of a handful of people who think that it will spell disaster?

Twitter Becomes Profitable

I noticed a little while ago that my friend Mark Horvath mentioned that he somehow lost a day, and it’s now Thursday. Well, let’s correct that. Since it’s well after midnight now, it’s actually Friday already! How the heck did that happen? I swear the week just started. You’re telling me it’s over already?!

I know I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to get done this week. Did you? How does the time slip away so fast during this time of year? The holidays are creeping in closer and faster, and I’m not ready yet! I haven’t hung my stocking. I haven’t finished decorating my house. I haven’t baked cookies for Santa yet!!! How am I supposed to get any work done with all of these uber-important things hanging over me? Heck – let’s not even TALK about shopping for presents!

TGIF, everyone!

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I admit it – I love Christmas music. I like the old, traditional stuff. I like some of the funny stuff. I even like some of the new-fangled stuff! Earlier this evening, I was listening to some Christmas tunes while working in my office, and the Twelve Days of Christmas song came on. As I hummed along with this cute little song, I remembered that there’s a “redneck” version, as well. That got me thinking… where’s the Geek version?! Surely there are more than enough gadgets lying around to help inspire us, right? We demand equal representation! If Jeff Foxworthy can sing about redneck gifts, why can’t we sing about Geeky ones?

Here’s my challenge to you – come up with a whole new version of the standard Twelve Days of Christmas. The catch is, of course, that it has to be Geek style! Only Geeky gifts, gadgets and gizmos are allowed for each of the days. Make sure the song makes sense, and rhymes at least somewhat. If you want me to sing it on stream some day, you need to make sure it sounds at least kind of coherent. If I receive one that is truly awesome, you never know where you might see or hear your creation!

Get to writing, and email me your lyrics!

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There are a lot of cool games and software titles available for excellent prices in our downloads center today – just in time for holiday gift-giving!

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The Twelve Days of Christmas – Geek Style

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Microsoft doesn’t bring the Bing Pong tables just anywhere, you know. We were so very lucky to have a great partner in the Bing family this year for Gnomedex. Not only did they sponsor the Will Code for Green contest, they also brought the Bing Pong room to the conference!

The tables, the paddles and the balls all glow under black lights. How freaking cool is that? It was a lot of fun, and a great way to relax and unwind during the day. Attendees could pop in there for a game any time they wanted, and many people did!

Bing Pong was definitely a huge success!

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Bing Pong!

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You, much like the rest of the galaxy, are likely using Google as your search engine. But is Google giving you the best results? How would you know unless you compare the results between search engines? Copying and pasting searches into multiple places and manually checking the results across the board is just not going to happen. Who has the time to do that? We need a way that we can easily and effectively make sure that we are each using the search engine that is right for us and our needs.

There’s a website out there that will help surface the truth for you. You may be convinced that Google is the best, but it may not be. The way to find out is to do a Blind Search.

Type in your search terms, and let Blind Search do the work. Then, compare the results columns, and vote for the one that you felt best delivered the content you were looking for. The columns are randomized with every query. The goal of the site is simple: they want to see what happens when you remove the branding from search engines. How will you perceive the results at that point?

Believe it or not, when I did a Blind Search of my own, the best results came from Yahoo. It just goes to show that things may not always be as they seem. Open your mind – and your search horizons.

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How to Compare Search Results between Bing, Yahoo, and Google

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As you know, I’ve been hosting my Gnomedex conference for the past nine years. We have just found out that this year, we will be sponsored by Microsoft Bing. I have some big news to go along with this… we’ll be giving away two grand prizes – $10,000.00!!! You have to use the Bing API to either help people save money, or be more environmentally friendly.

Enter the Will Code for Green! developer contest. If your economy or ecology-themed web application is chosen as one of the two grand prize winners at Gnomedex in August, you’ll win $10,000!! No, that isn’t a typo. I said TEN! THOUSAND! DOLLARS!.

Even if you aren’t a developer, you may have a great idea about how to make the world a greener place – or help people save money. Grab a dev friend, and share the project… and the prize! There will also be three runner-up prizes of $3000.00 each so get to creating!

Change the world. Make some money. What’s wrong with that?

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Will Code for Green: Make Money!

Every week I try to post a new Green Screen challenge. The community loves participating in these – and some of the resulting videos are just amazing! I have a great time every week watching them all, and trying to choose my favorites.

This past week, I asked you to edit a video where I talked about Microsoft’s Bing. Bing is a search engine that finds and organizes the answers you need so you can make faster, more informed decisions.

In a world of excessive choice and too much information, it’s often difficult to make the right decision. What you need is more than just a search engine; you need a decision engine that provides useful tools to help you get what you want fast, rather than simply presenting a list of Web links. Bing is such a decision engine. It provides an easy way to make more informed choices.

So without further ado… here are my two favorite Bing Green Screen responses!

Green Screen Challenge – Microsoft Bing